While it's not the most exciting game to come to the App Store in the past few months, Phoenix Spirit brings a decent side-scroller that's both intriguing and fun. The action from left to right is the most compelling component here, so it's pure, straightforward arcade entertainment without any cherries on top. Not that I'm complaining.
In the game, you play as a literal flying squirrel, gliding your character across the screen from one spot in the forest to another. You explore the wilderness in the hopes of finding the cause for an illness that has inflicted the jungle's mother tree.
Unlike most iPhone games which offer a plethora of controls, Phoenix Spirit takes it the other way, severely limiting the user's options. Most notably, maneuvering your protagonist is accomplished in a single way: tilt control. I don't mind it, although I expect a lot of people to be unhappy with the choice. Drawn pixel art graphics look nice and the music is very immersive.
Controlling the squirrel involves more than gliding past obstacles, though. You'll need to manage your speed too, which is accomplished by two onscreen buttons that let you dive to reduce thrust and jump off for added quickness. This gliding mechanic is a central part of the game and will likely be one of the early sticking points for most players. Once you get acclimated to the concept, however, it becomes rather easy.
You gain new powers and abilities the further you go into the game world, as well as the chance to battle some enemies. Strangely enough, you don't need to engage with any of the antagonists - you can simply fly past them at your own discretion. It's a strange dynamic that leaves the game feeling really incomplete.
At the 99-cent price, it's easy to forgive Phoenix Spirit's shortcomings if you're looking for a cheap side-scroller to waste time on. While the predilection to stick with tilt action is fine with me, the might-as-well-be-eliminated combat system really isn't. I hope they do find a way around that since making evading enemies more difficult could make this just a tad meatier than it currently is.
